Candidates face off in contested municipal races in Bucks, Montco

Tuesday

With few names on the ballots in most towns, only a handful of Bucks and Montgomery County municipalities will see contested races on the May 21 primary election.

Editor's Note: this story has been edited to correct the Hilltown supervisor not running for re-election, Kenneth Bennington.

With few names on the ballots in most towns, only a handful of Bucks and Montgomery County municipalities will see contested races on the May 21 primary election.

The winners of the primaries, and their party's nomination, will appear on the general election in November.

Here's a look at the races before the polls open next week:

Bristol Township

Incumbent Democratic candidates Patrick Antonello, Joseph Glasson and Maryann Wagner as well as Democratic challenger David Taylor are vying for three, four-year terms on the council.

Antonello, a territory manager for Pennsylvania Steel Co., is seeking his second term after first being elected to the council in 2015. Glasson, a plumbing foreman for McIntyre/Ben Franklin Plumbing, is seeking a third term after joining council in 2011 when the township removed the mayor position and switched to a seven-member governing board.

Wagner, an administrative assistant for the Bristol Township School District, is seeking her first full term after securing a two-year term in November 2016. She was appointed to council in June 2016 following the resignation of former Councilwoman Amber Longhitano.

No Republicans are running in the primary. With no GOP challengers in the general election, the winners of the Democratic primary will like take the seats.

Falls

Democratic incumbent Jeff Boraski is being challenged by Toni Battiste for a six-year term on the five-member board of supervisors.

Boraski, an electrical foreman for Carr & Duff Inc., is seeking a second term after first being elected in 2013.

He voted with the board to deny the proposed hazardous waste treatment facility Elcon during a contentious three-hour meeting earlier this month after four years of protest from residents. If reelected, he said his main goal is to attract businesses that will add to the community and be good neighbors.

"Our Community and Economic Development Commission will help guide us. Keeping taxes low and working with business and labor leaders will keep Falls 'First in Bucks,'" he said in his responses sent to this news organization for its voters guide.

Battiste, a retired postal supervisor and volunteer, proposes to update the township website to include taxes, transportation and a “Jobs Available” section. She said the township uses too much from savings to balance budgets, which will create a credit issue in the future.

Joan Graves, a retired clinical research study manager, is running unopposed on the Republican ballot. Her biggest concern is providing police support to fight the opioid addiction crisis.

Battiste and Graves opposed the Elcon facility.

Board Chairman Robert Harvie is running for Bucks County commissioner.

Hatboro

Incumbent April Mount will face off against Democratic candidates Catherine Brennan and Ed Moll for borough tax collector.

The position has a two-year term.

Hilltown

Three Republicans are running to fill the seat of Republican Supervisor Vice Chairman Kenneth Bennington, who is not seeking re-election.

The candidates are David R. Christ Jr., a township planning board member, and local business owners Caleb Torrice and John Wietecha.

No Democrats have filed to run in the primary election.

Montgomery Township

Democratic candidates Annette M. Long and Beth Staab as well as Republicans Robert J. Birch, Frank Davey and Theresa Tran are vying for two, 6-year seats on the five-member board of supervisors.

Long, a paralegal, said traffic, over building and loss of business are the biggest issues affecting the township. "I would look toward attracting more family oriented businesses that can use existing structures which are currently vacant," she said.

Staab, a business owner and consultant, supports fully staffing the township's fire and emergency medical services departments by offering tax incentives and stipends.

On the Republican ticket, Birch is seeking to return to the board after serving 6- and 2-year terms starting in 2008. The attorney said the township has about 100 acres of undeveloped land and is facing redevelopment issues. "We need to be circumspect with developers," he said.

Davey, a health care executive, and Tran, a global clinical supplier for Merck, are both pushing for business growth in the township.

"The biggest issue for Montgomery Township is the future of Montgomery Mall in the rapidly changing retail environment," he said.

Incumbent Danielle Larison will be challenged by fellow Republicans Scott Robinson and Noel Sperry while Nancy Sherlock will run unopposed as a Democrat for two seats in Ward 2.

Larison, a property manager seeking her second term in office, said the biggest issue facing the borough is its revenue source versus its tax base. She supports switching the downtown business district into an enterprise zone. "I would like to continue to find ways to bring in new businesses and development into our community," she said.

Sperry, a business deployment specialist for Sprint, proposes attracting people to the borough through work with the Morrisville Business Association.

Sherlock previously served on the council for more than 10 years before losing to Larison in 2015.

Councilman Dave Nay, who took over for former Councilman Bill Pepitone in March 2018, did not run for election in Ward 2.

In Ward 3, incumbent Republican Debbie Smith and Democratic candidate Robert Paul will run unopposed.

Democratic incumbent Ted Parker will run against Kelly Chiavarini in Ward 4.

Parker, an emergency medical services supervisor, said the borough must have a "well-funded, fully staffed and equipped police department" to ensure businesses and customers visiting the borough feel safe. Over the past year, the council has proposed making cuts to the police department to reduce a budget deficit.

Chiavarini, an executive assistant, supports making improvements to the borough's infrastructure.

All seats on the eight-member council are for four-year terms.

Tullytown

Four Democrats are running for three, four-year seats on the seven-member council.

Council President Nina Chrzanowski as well as fellow incumbents MaryAnn Johnson and Joseph Shellenberger will face off against Democratic candidate Bryan R. Servis.

The biggest issue for the candidates is balancing the borough's budget following the 2017 closure of the Waste Management landfill, which the borough depended on for host fees for revenue.

Servis served on council for many years before being ousted in 2013.

No Republicans are running in the primary.

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